Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
At The Moon Light Lodge in Namche Bazar at approximately 7:50 PM
Last night we were in Pheriche. Today, Roshan and I trekked from Pheriche all the way here to Namche. It took about 7 ½ hours. My guess is it was probably 16 or 17 miles at least. There was a lot of downhills and uphills, but we made it. We needed to get here because there's an ATM in Namche, and we ran all out this morning to pay for our stay in Pheriche. The woman owner at the Pheriche Resort who we call Didi (“older sister” respectfully) gave us a discount again and she was helpful to Roshan, gave him some noodle soup that he shared with me because all I could afford for both of us this morning was milk tea.
Right now it sounds like I'm missing out on a Sherpa birthday party or something upstairs. There's a lot of singing and stomping. They might just fall through the roof!
Back to Didi...she told Roshan he is like a son to her (remember she knows his Dad), and she gave him some biscuits for the road. Roshan told her he'd like to meet up with her in Kathmandu (where she has a house) in a couple months, after trekking season is finished and winter sets in for real. I suggested to Roshan that if I'm still around, I could “repay” her and take her to dinner in Kathmandu before I leave in December. This may happen. I wrote a note thanking her for her hospitality.
What struck me as fascinating was that she said Roshan was like her son...while Roshan's Dad denounced him as his own son. On the way out of Pheriche today Roshan told me that though he's never known the love of a mother (his own mother left the family shortly after he was born), he “takes love from everybody – sisters, brothers, leaders, friends, and Didi.” I again had visions of Roshan reconciling things with his Dad.
It was rough trekking today but we made it.
Some of the Sherpa children we met in Pangboche on the way down
(This little guy may summit Everest one day)
A Buddhist monk walks down the stairs at the Tengboche Monastery
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